Many dispenser systems are known in the prior art for dispensing paper toweling from rolls thereof. In some cases the paper toweling is comprised of individual paper towel segments separated by perforated tear lines, and in others the toweling has no perforated tear lines formed therein, the user severing or cutting individual sheets from the toweling by some suitable means incorporated in the dispenser.
Some commonly employed paper dispensers provide for removal of the toweling from the roll as a result of a consumer manually grasping the lead end of the toweling and pulling it through an opening in the towel dispenser cabinet. Employing such an approach, tabbing or breaking of pieces from the end most towel segment can and does occur, particularly when a consumer's hands are wet when grasping the towel, as is often the case. Such arrangements may require use of special "high strength" toweling and expensive mechanism to operate properly.
It is also well known to employ drive mechanisms in paper towel dispenser cabinets associated with levers, knobs or the like which are actuated by a consumer (usually by manual contact) to advance the toweling. These latter arrangements conventionally incorporate one or more rollers forming a compressive nip through which the toweling passes during the dispensing operation.
It is also well known in the prior art to provide mechanical arrangements of various types in paper towel dispenser cabinets to effect transfer from one roll of toweling to another when a roll is at or near depletion. Such mechanisms are often characterized by their relative complexity and expense. Furthermore, some of the transfer systems are not as reliable or effective as one might wish. The more complex prior art transfer mechanisms can be prone to misalignment and even failure after time.